<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.5897" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV>Does anyone know the general history of "elective share" of surviving spouses in testate cases?  I know what modern-day Minnesota law says, and also know that specifics vary among states.  I am wondering when such protections became common.  I gather this is an outgrowth of dower's rights.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I am going to be looking at 1840 statutes from a couple of states tomorrow, but if anyone can give me a quick general picture, I'd appreciate it.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT lang=2 face=Arial size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10">Jay Fonkert, CG<BR><A href="http://fourgenerationsgenealogy.blogspot.com/">http://fourgenerationsgenealogy.blogspot.com/</A><BR>Saint Paul, MN<BR><BR>Member, Association of Professional Genealogists<BR>(</FONT><FONT lang=2 face=Arial color=#000000 size=1 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="8">professional profile at <A href="http://www.apgen.org)/">www.apgen.org)</A></FONT><FONT lang=2 face=Arial color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><BR>Member, Genealogical Speakers Guild<BR></FONT><FONT lang=2 face=Arial color=#000000 size=1 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="8">(professional profile at <A href="http://www.genealogicalspeakersguild.org/)">http://www.genealogicalspeakersguild.org/)</A></FONT><FONT lang=2 face=Arial color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"> <BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=2 face=Arial color=#000000 size=1 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="8">CG (Certified Genealogist) is a service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by Board-certified associates after periodic competency evaluations.</FONT><FONT lang=2 face=Arial color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><BR></FONT></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>